The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp in which a printed sheet having colored transparent films printed thereon in predetermined patterns is disposed inwardly of a front lens of the lamp so as to improve the external appearance thereof when not illuminated.
FIG. 10 shows a lamp according to the prior art. In this conventional lamp, a lamp chamber S is defined when a front lens 3 is installed in a front opening of a receptacle-like lamp body 1 in which a reflector 2 is formed integrally therewith, and a light source 4 is disposed in the lamp chamber S. In addition, a printed sheet 5 is disposed inwardly of the front lens 3 which printed sheet 5 has a colored transparent printed film formed thereon in a predetermined pattern.
This printed sheet 5 is constructed such that a colored transparent layer 7 is formed in a predetermined pattern in a laminated fashion on an internal surface of a colorless transparent sheet main body 6 made of synthetic resin, whereas a deposited film 8 and a convex transparent printed layer 9 are formed in a laminated fashion on an external surface of the sheet main body 6 at a location matching the location where the colored transparent layer 7 is formed. When the lamp is illuminated, light from the light source is colored by the colored transparent layer 7 by the time the light from the light source returns into the interior of the lamp chamber S after it has been reflected on the deposited layer 8 as indicated by an arrow L, and therefore, the colored light is reflected on the reflector 2 in a certain pattern, and when the line of sight is changed, the colored light in the pattern becomes visible or invisible depending on where the line of sight is located. In addition, when the lamp is not illuminated, external incident light on the convex transparent printed layer 9 is reflected on the deposited film 8 and then converges and refracts at the convex transparent printed layer 9, and therefore the colored pattern of the printed sheet is seen three dimensionally.
In the aforesaid conventional construction, however, since the light colored by the colored transparent layer 7 when the lamp is illuminated is reflected on the deposited film 8 and returns into the lamp chamber S, the front lens 3 emits light in a color which is a mixture of the colors of the light from the light source and the colored transparent layer 7. Thus, the conventional lamp so constructed has suffered from a problem that the application thereof is limited as the lamp cannot be applied to a lamp such as a backup lamp.
In addition, in the aforesaid conventional construction, the deposited film 8 is formed on the printed sheet 5, and since the formation of the deposited film 8 is expensive, the lamp is expensive to make.
The invention was made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and provides a vehicle lamp in which a predetermined colored pattern of a printed sheet is seen three-dimensionally through a front lens when not illuminated, while when illuminated the front lens emits predetermined functional colors which are free from being affected by the color of the colored pattern of the printed sheet.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lamp in which lamp chambers are defined by a receptacle-like lamp body and a colorless transparent front lens mounted in an front opening of the lamp body. Light sources are disposed in the lamp chambers, and a printed sheet is disposed inwardly of the front lens, the printed sheet comprising a sheet main body of synthetic resin having colored transparent layers printed in predetermined patterns on a surface of the sheet main body. The colored transparent layers and a convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer are formed in a laminated fashion as lower layers and an upper layer, respectively, on at least part of an external surface of the sheet main body of the printed sheet. A plating-like printed layer and a light shielding layer are formed in a laminated fashion as a lower layer and an upper layer, respectively, on an internal surface of the sheet main body at a location matching the location of the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer.
In a case where the colored transparent layers are formed on part of the external surface of the sheet main body, external light transmitted through the colored transparent layers is reflected on the plating-like printed layer, and the predetermined colored pattern (the colored transparent layers) on the printed sheet located inwardly of the lens is seen shining through the transparent front lens when the lamp is not illuminated. Moreover, the predetermined colored pattern (the pattern formed by the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer) is seen three-dimensionally, as the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer acts as a lens.
In contrast, when the lamp is illuminated, white light rays from the light chamber side to the printed sheet are partially shielded by the light shielding layer, the remaining portion of the light from the light source is allowed to be transmitted through areas where the light shielding layer is not formed, i.e., areas where the colored pattern of the printed sheet is not formed (areas where the colored transparent layers are not formed), and is emitted from the front lens for forward distribution, whereupon the front lens is illuminated in a functional color (for example, white).
In addition, since light directed from the lamp chamber side to the colored transparent layers is shielded by the light shielding layer and hence no such light reaches the colored transparent layers, there is no risk of the front lens being illuminated in the color of the colored transparent layers. Namely, there is caused no risk of light assuming the color of the colored transparent layers being emitted directly from the front lens, or a risk of light assuming the color of the colored transparent layers entering the lamp chamber to be emitted together with the light from the light source.
Additionally, in a case where the colored transparent layer is formed on the whole area on the external surface of the sheet main body, when the lamp is not turned on, the predetermined colored pattern (the colored transparent layer) on the printed sheet located inwardly of the lens is seen through the transparent front lens, whereby the whole front lens is seen as assuming the color of the colored transparent layer. Furthermore, since external light allowed to be transmitted through the colored transparent layer is reflected on the plating-like printed layer, the predetermined colored pattern (the pattern formed by the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer) is seen shining, and moreover, the predetermined colored pattern is seen three-dimensionally as the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer acts as a lens.
When the lamp is illuminated, light led from the lamp chamber side to the printed sheet is partially shielded by the light shielding layer, but the remaining portion of the light is allowed to be transmitted through areas where the light shielding layer is not formed or areas where the colored transparent layer is formed so as to be emitted from the front lens for forward distribution. Thus, when the light from the light source transmits through the areas where the light shielding layer is not formed in the area where the colored transparent layer is formed, the light is caused to assume the color of the colored transparent layer, whereby the front lens is illuminated in a functional color (the color of the colored transparent layer).
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lamp as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, wherein the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer is formed on part of a surface of a colored transparent layer formed on the whole area of the external surface of the sheet main body. A colored opaque layer is also formed so as to be interposed between the colored transparent layer and the convex colorless transparent layer, the colored opaque layer having a color different from that of the colored transparent layer.
In the second aspect, when the lamp is not illuminated, the colored opaque layer and the colored transparent layer both on the printed sheet located inwardly of the lens are seen through the transparent front lens, and the colored pattern assuming the colors of the colored opaque layer and the colored transparent layer are seen three-dimensionally as the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer acts as a lens.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lamp as set forth in the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein a colored opaque layer is formed so as to be interposed between the colored transparent layer and the convex colorless transparent layer. The colored opaque layer has a color different from that of the colored transparent layer and is provided with a gradation function in which the density of the color of the colored opaque layer changes gradually.
When the lamp is not illuminated, the colored opaque layer and the colored transparent layer both on the printed sheet located inwardly of the lens are seen shining through the transparent front lens, and the gradation colored pattern is seen three-dimensionally, in which the colors of the colored opaque layer and the colored transparent layer change gradually as the convex three-dimensional colorless transparent layer acts as a lens.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lamp as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, wherein the colored transparent layer is provided with a horizontal stripe-like patterned portion in which a plurality of horizontally extending string-like portions are arranged sequentially in a vertical direction in substantially parallel with one another, and wherein the light sources are constituted by incandescent bulbs which emit while light.
When the lamp is not illuminated, the horizontal stripe-like colored pattern on the printed sheet located inwardly of the lens is seen shining three-dimensionally through the transparent front lens. When the lamp is illuminated, the light from the light source is allowed to be transmitted through area where the light shielding layer is not formed, or areas where the colored pattern is not formed on the printed sheet (areas where the colored transparent layer is not formed), so as to be emitted from the front lens for forward distribution, whereupon the front lens is illuminated while.